Luck of the Irish
by BlaqueCat13
Summary: Scarlett's life after Rhett leaves, how will it be?
1. Chapter 1

**_Okay after much thought and a bit of prodding I am now trying my hand at a multi-chapter story about our favorite couple. Thank you so much Dreamy for helping me I am forever in your debt. Right now my chapters will be short until I get my bearings and feel for what I am doing so please bear with me._**

**_Disclaimer: Margaret Mitchell does not give me any money for this story because she is DEAD and even if she weren't I wouldn't want any. This is only done for fun._**

**Luck of the Irish **

Rhett came home the first week of February. No telegram was sent, just one day he unexpectedly came walking through the front door. He took everyone by surprise, especially Scarlett. She had been in the back parlor going over magazines to see what she was going to order for Wade's twelfth birthday. She wanted to get him a pocket watch to show that he was now the man of the house. She wasn't sure if Rhett was ever going to come back, because she hadn't heard from him in months, so when she walked out of the parlor she was startled to see him holding Ella in his arms. Scarlett just stood there taking all of him in. He looked much better than he did when he had left so she sadly thought _being away from me has been good for him._

When she first saw him she was exiting the rear parlor and he was just setting Ella back on to her feet. Ella was happily chattering a mile a minute, while in Rhett's arms telling him about everything that he had missed, Christmas, New Years, her birthday. She asked him if he had brought her any presents—that's when Scarlett stepped in.

"Ella! You know better than to ask Uncle Rhett for presents." Scarlett said with a slight laugh in her voice. The smile that Rhett had been giving Ella quickly disappeared when he heard Scarlett's voice but his eyebrows quickly arched up at the softness of the reprimand.

"My, my Scarlett, please don't try to put on a show of being a loving mother for my sake. We all know that is not a role suited for you." Sarcasm dripped heavily from Rhett's lips.

With a hurtful look on her face, Scarlett snapped, "Well with you being God knows where, my role has doubled as both mother and father for my children. My children need me now more than ever and I need them!" _Oh God, why is he doing this to me?_ She thought with anguish.

All the while that Rhett had been absent, Scarlett was miserable.

She had been walking in a daze wandering from room to room wondering what had become of her life. Yes she had money, a grand home and two fine children, but what was missing was love, not the love a child has for its mother or the love a mother has for her child but the love of her husband, a man that she hadn't realized loved her for years, had loved her but never let her know. _Why?_ She wondered. _I know why. Ashley, that's why. Why did I let him cloud my judgment?_ She had berated herself for this foolish dream that she had as a love-struck adolescent. _What a fool I was._ Had she not been so stubborn and blind Rhett would be there to comfort her, to guide her, to protect her, but most of all to love her. Now here he is in the flesh and he is being so cold, so unfeeling.

Turning towards Ella, Scarlett softly said, "Ella honey, please go and find Wade and tell him that Uncle Rhett is here. I'm sure he would like to see him."

"Yes Momma" an obedient Ella replied.

After Ella had left the room Rhett rudely commented, "_You_ need the children? I find that highly unlikely. You need no one but yourself. Oh yes, and of course Mr. Wilkes."

"I need you Rhett" Scarlett said in a low child-like voice.

"Well, that's your misfortune." he stated as he brushed passed her to start climbing the stairs.

Watching him climb the stairs and walk toward his room, her eyes began to tear and blur her eyesight. Turning around she quickly ran to where she had previously been, while tears were streaming down her face and a large sob fought to pour from her lips. Finally reaching the parlor, she locked the doors behind her and walked quickly to the sofa that adorned the room and sank into its softness. Her chest tightened into the most painful grip, as if a noose was wrapped around her heart, and she folded over on her lap and finally let the anguish that she had been holding in, overtake her. She began crying from deep within her soul, years of pent-up pain had finally erupted, of all of her losses-- her parents, her children, her only friend-- this pain hurt the most, the pain of a truly broken heart, a pain of her own making, a pain that could have been avoided if she had just opened her eyes.

As Rhett trudged up the stairs he felt older than his forty-five years. Yes he was much better then the day that he had left, but he was still not the man that he used to be. Even though he had cut down on his drinking, he was still unable to sleep. He missed having his little girl beside him when he fell to sleep. He was a bit nervous at seeing Scarlett for the first time since her confession of love, that her appearance unnerved him a bit. She was still beautiful, but there was something missing. The fire that was in her eyes had seemed to die out, she was no longer the fiery force of nature that she once had been. She was thinner and her face held a sadness that he had never seen before. He wished he cared, but at this time in his life, caring for anybody seemed quite farfetched. He barely cared for himself, how could he care for anyone else, let alone Scarlett. His heart had been ripped out, and he cursed a god that he never believed in. Hating Him for taking away his beautiful young daughter, and making his life a living Hell. When he reached his bedroom door he hesitated, he was afraid that all of the old memories would overwhelm him. He wondered if the bed that Bonnie slept in was still there, he hoped it wouldn't. Taking in a deep breath, he opened the door, and letting the air out slowly , he was relieved to see that it had been removed. The room was empty but obviously tended to, for the curtains were drawn and there were fresh flowers on the center of the table that decorated the room. There was not a speck of dust anywhere to be seen. _Everything still running smoothly I see,_ _doesn't anything bother this woman? _He thought bitterly as his eyes took in the immaculate room. Rhett never thought that coming back to Atlanta to keep up appearances would be easy but somehow he hadn't bargained for it to be quite so difficult with not only having to face Scarlett again for the first time since his departure but also the memories that came with being back in this mausoleum which housed so many painful memories. Well, he would keep his bargain with her and keep the gossip down, but he would also make his trip as painless as possible by keeping her at arm's length.

**Thank you for reading, now please kindly review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, here is the next chapter, I hope that you like it.**

Luck of the Irish—Chapter 2

While Rhett was home, he would have dinner with Scarlett and the children. Rhett would question Wade and Ella about how their day went, then he would politely but disinterestedly ask Scarlett the same, but he would never delve into anything more personal. As soon as the children asked if they could be excused, he would politely excuse him self and then leave for the evening. Scarlett suspected that he went to Belle's place but was afraid to ask him for fear that he would reveal more information then she cared to know. On these nights she would wait up for him to make sure that he came home safely leaving her bedroom door slightly open and hoping that he would take the hint but to no avail. Rhett didn't seem interested in Scarlett at all.

To appease the gossiping pea-hens of Atlanta, Rhett and Scarlett would frequently take walks around the neighborhood. During these walks Rhett would put on his happy mask, but all of the ladies of the Old Guard knew it was just that—a mask. Scarlett and he would talk about the weather or how Atlanta was growing, or if the children needed anything, but that was all. Once their parade was over, he would again leave the house and return late in the evening. While in public Rhett would be the pinnacle of the doting husband, helping Scarlett in and out of their carriage, opening doors for her, and even feigning a kiss on the cheek when he would leave her side, but his lips never made contact with her skin. As for Scarlett, she would smile enough to show her dimples, but the smile never reached her eyes. Her green eyes that were once the shade of an emerald were now the same hue as moss, where once was the happy go lucky belle of three counties, now stood a woman who had seen too much death and sadness. Scarlett now looked like a woman who walked in a dreamlike state who for a moment would wake up temporarily then revert back to her dream.

As the month wore on, the Old Guard of Atlanta was going to give a ball, one that would celebrate their veterans and also help make money for the surviving men that were injured and had limited abilities to support their families. Many of the men came home injured and without a cent to their names. The disabled veterans were the ones that had the hardest time making a living and supporting their families. This ball would be a way to thank them for their services and sacrifices. It would also provide needed funds for low interest loans. Of course Rhett and Scarlett would be expected to attend, it was common knowledge that Rhett had served in the army toward the end of the war. The good ladies of Atlanta were excited to see if the Butlers would attend, so that they could give them enough gossip to make it worth their while for inviting them.

During the week, Scarlett made a visit to Aunt Pittypat's home-where Ashley had been living since Melanie died-so that she could make good on the promise that she made to Melly. She wanted to make sure that Beau wanted for nothing. While during this visit she found out some very unsettling news. Scarlett had knocked and knocked on the door until her knuckles were becoming bruised. Exasperated she called out, "India Wilkes, if you do not open up this door, I will call a policeman and have him bodily remove you from these premises, after all it is still half my house and you are living on my charity!" The door slowly opened and India reluctantly let Scarlett in. With venom India hissed, "What do you want Scarlett?"

In a matter of fact tone she said, "I've come to see about Beau and Ashley."

Instantly India spat back, "You leave my brother alone you trollop!"

Scarlett hissed back, "India Wilkes, you hush your mouth! Do you want Ashley to hear you?"

"I don't care if he hears me, I don't want you any where near my brother!"

With barely held back anger Scarlett lowered her voice and said, "India, I am not interested in your brother, now or ever, but I did promise Melly that I would look after Beau and also Ashley, and I will not go back on that promise."

"Well what do you want?" India said reluctantly.

"I have a plan on how I can keep my promise and not let Ashley know that it is me…"

After the details of "Operation Ashley" were finished Scarlett had started to chat about the things that Ashley would need for Beau, India interrupted her, "Since you are finished, will you please leave now Scarlett."

"India Wilkes, are you throwing me out?" asked an incredulous Scarlett.

"No but I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave because Beau is due home soon and I would like it if you were not here when he arrives." India sniffed stiffly.

"Well, India, I would like to see how Beau is and also to ask Ashley if he can come over to keep company with Wade."

"Shouldn't you be going home to be with your husband?" dripped India with unveiled sarcasm.

"Home with Rhett? He is not home, he's out this evening with some of his business associates," stated Scarlett.

"Hah! Is that what he told you?" India made a short incredulous laugh.

With a suspicious note in her voice Scarlett asked the woman she detested more than anyone, "What are you getting at India Wilkes?"

"Your husband does not have a _business_ meeting tonight. Your husband is meeting with his mistress." Dripped India with all the sagacity in her being.

"His mistress?" asked Scarlett. "Do you mean that he is with that creature? That Belle Watling?"

"No, you fool I mean the mistress that he brought with him from Charleston! Do you mean that you didn't know?" laughed India.

"India Wilkes, you must have been sipping from Aunt Pitty's swoon bottle. Rhett doesn't have a mistress." Scarlett choked out.

"Oh no?"

"He has been seen having late night dinners with her at the hotel restaurant, and has been seen going with her upstairs to her room, and seen coming out hours later with a large smile on his face!" India concluded triumphantly.

"You are lying to me India, you are just trying to punish me for stealing Stuart from you all those years ago," she cried.

"You stupid fool. Everybody knows except you. What is it they say? 'The wife is always the last to know.' What I hear, is that she is the complete opposite of you, tall, blonde, beautiful, intelligent and more of a lady than you'll ever be. Obviously your husband wants no reminders of the mistake that he made in marrying you!" India stated with unadulterated glee.

Swallowing with great difficulty the lump that had formed in her throat, Scarlett croaked out "You are a liar India Wilkes." And turned around and covered her mouth in order to stifle the sob that wanted to break through. As she walked hurriedly to the sidewalk, she could hear India laughing all the way to her carriage.

_No it can't be true_ Scarlett thought on the ride home. _Please God, don't let it be true. Oh Rhett, please don't humiliate me like this._ Hardly able to breathe, Scarlett quickly went into her home and ran up the flight of stairs and to the safety of her bedroom.

**Please tell me what you think.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here is the next chapter, I hope you like it. **

**A special "Thank you" to Dreamy for helping me in some translation and for encouraging me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own nuthin' that has to do with GWTW, well maybe a dvd and a book or two but that's all. No one pays me to write this stuff, I do it for the applause. (Hee hee). **

Luck of the Irish-Chapter 3

The evening of the ball came all too quickly for Scarlett. With the knowledge that all of the Old Guard knew about Rhett's mistress, she was not happy with the prospect of being cut down in public. She knew that most of the ladies would not say a thing, but there was always a chance that India's acid tongue wagging would prompt them to do just that.

Scarlett dressed more carefully then she ever had. Her gown was of a lavender hue with cap sleeves that barely hung on her shoulders. The bodice fit snugly on her torso and accentuated her ample bosom that ended in a V shape that also showed off her rather small waist one would not think that she had ever bore three children. The skirt fit perfectly at her round hips and swept back into a bustle decorated with a cascade of pink roses. It had taken Prissy over an hour to curl Scarlett's stick straight hair then an extra half-hour to pin it up to Scarlett's specifications. Scarlett's jewels were all perfectly matched. There were small emerald and diamond encrusted combs in her hair with matching earbobs and a beautiful pear-shaped 5-carat flawless emerald with diamonds around it on a gold chain. As she admired herself in the full length mirror, she looked the perfect picture of a calm and cool lady, but inside she was as skittish as a newborn colt.

A knock at her bedroom door jolted Scarlett out of her trance. "Yes?" Scarlett said a bit unsurely. "Are you ready Mrs. Butler?" Came a voice from the other side of the door.

Again in a shaky voice she answered, "Yes Rhett I am." Then in an added thought _I hope._

When they arrived at the ugly building that was to house the ball, they were taken by surprise by the beauty that was within. There were vases of flowers that adorned all of the tables, candles were placed all around and looked as though small stars had been brought down from the heavens, while brightly colored streamers were draped over anything that hung from above. Even the chandelier which had been badly damaged during the war looked beautiful with flower garlands hanging from it. All of the women wore their best dresses and some of the young women had brand new frocks which were the colors of spring. The whole room looked like a field of flowers blowing in a breeze. At the back of the room, tables were overflowing with food brought by the ladies of Atlanta. The Butlers had provided all of the liquor.

When Scarlett entered the room, she high-tailed it for the nearest punchbowl, her throat was dry from breathing so deeply to calm her nerves. She knew deep down in her heart that it was going to be a long and tortuous night. Many of the women just looked at her curiously as she brushed passed them in a beeline to the punch. Once she arrived at the refreshment table she quickly scooped up a pre-poured glass of punch and drank it as if it were the last glass of punch in the desert. She knew that it didn't look ladylike but at this moment she didn't care she only wished that it had been laced with brandy so that it would calm her nerves. Rhett came up behind her, looking at her with a bit of curiosity,

"Are you alright Scarlett?" Quickly looking up at him, she blushed with embarrassment at how she must have looked. With a stammer she answered, "No…no Rhett, I'm quite fine, thank you." Trying to believe what she was saying she continued, "You needn't worry about me." With that Rhett just looked at her and smirked then walked away.

As Scarlett surveyed the room she noticed that India Wilkes spotted her. She looked back at India and acknowledged her with a barely perceptible nod, and India quickly turned around in disgust. _Ha! Take that India Wilkes!_ She thought triumphantly. As the citizens of Atlanta began to arrive, Scarlett felt a little more comfortable. Rhett had gone off to talk to some of the men that were at the liquor bar. The room was full of music and laughter and Scarlett wished fervently that she was full of gaiety but she was spilling over with anxiety, any bit of laughter that she heard made her wonder if it was directed at her. Scarlett had never felt so uncomfortable in her life, she had always enjoyed being the center of attention but this night she would love to blend in with the background. Oh how she wished Melanie was here to calm her soul to be there to defend her, but no, she was alone as usual. At one point Rhett had danced with her, of course it was the obligatory first dance, when the song was over he removed himself from her presence and went back to rejoin the men he was having a conversation with. When he did grant her a dance, he held her at a respectable distance and barely touched her hand and waist, he did not engage her in any conversation nor did he look at her face, in fact he danced mechanically with no feeling whatsoever, and when the dance was over, he bowed and walked away.

While Scarlett watched him walk away a sudden hush came over the room. Appearing at the entrance was an unfamiliar couple, the gentleman was middle-aged and short of stature with a slight paunch and his tuxedo fit a bit snug on him, but all-in-all he looked well-off and in his face was a kindness that brought Scarlett almost to tears because he made her think of her father. The woman that he was with was the complete opposite, she was tall in stature, slender but well built, and her dress was perfectly fit to her body, and she held an air of sophistication that made every body in the room look like country folk. She wore beautiful jewelry which obviously was expensive, but not gaudy, in her blonde hair she had a small tiara which made her look like a princess from a fairy tale. As they stood in the doorway the woman surveyed the room with a trained eye, when she spotted who she was looking for, a small smile came upon her face and her eyes began to twinkle. She nudged her escort and discreetly nodded toward a group of men. In that group was none other then Rhett Butler. The couple proceeded to walk down the stairs and toward Rhett. He happened to turn his head just slightly when he noticed the odd couple walking to him he then excused himself from his companions and swiftly came up to the pair. He grabbed the man's hand in greeting and then turned to the woman and bowed over her offered hand and lightly kissed it. At this particular moment Scarlett was standing watching the couple walk up to her husband and hint of jealousy struck her as he greeted the woman, feeling as though someone was watching her Scarlett turned around and noticed India glaring at her and when their eyes met, India's face immediately dawned a demonic grin across her normally pinched visage. With horror in her face and heart, Scarlett realized who the beautiful stranger was- she was Rhett's rumored mistress! For a moment Scarlett felt like running away but she remembered she was an O'Hara and O'Hara's face the enemy. So with all of the resolve that she could muster she plastered on a friendly smile lifted her chin and walked towards the offending couple and her husband.

As Scarlett began to walk purposefully towards her husband and his guests, a firm but gentle hand grabbed her arm. Angrily she turned around and came face to face with Ashley. He looked at her with concern and said in a quiet but firm voice, "Don't Scarlett."

"Don't what Ashley Wilkes? And would you please unhand me?"

"Please darling, don't make a scene." He continued in his quiet voice. Once along long time ago she would have listened to his advice, in fact she yearned to hear his voice but now after years of listening and yearning she decided it was time to stop.

"Me Ashley? Make a scene? Now why ever would I do such a thing?" She looked at him with fake innocence.

"Because I know that you must have heard the rumors about your husband and he so happens to be standing with two apparent strangers that look rather comfortable with him."

"Oh Ashley, how you do run on. I'm just going to go and have my darling husband introduce me to his guests…..I promise that I will behave."

"Please dear, you know that all of the gossips are dying to have something to hold over on you and embarrassingly enough my sister is the main one."

"Don't worry Ashley, I be so cool that butter won't melt in my mouth." She smiled at him with a wicked twinkle in her green catlike eyes and walked away.

Sauntering up to Rhett Scarlett placed her hand in the crook of his arm, "Why Rhett, aren't you going to introduce me to your-guests?"

Startled by her sudden appearance as she gracefully placed her hand in his arm Rhett looked down at Scarlett with an eyebrow cocked up. "Oh so you have decided to grace me with your presence Mrs. Butler." He drawled. Scarlett tilted her head to the side to give him a sly look, "Yes Captain Butler I have." "Are you going to introduce me to your friends or am I going to have to introduce my self?" With a quick intake of breath he began the introductions. "Scarlett, may I please introduce you to my business partners, Mr. Mitchell Thomas and Mrs. Madeleine Duvalier-Reid." He looked quickly from Scarlett to both of his acquaintances. He noticed that Scarlett was tightening her jaw as she smiled and that her right eyebrow was slightly arched but she lifted her chin up as she gracefully offered her hand to Mr. Thomas as he lifted her fingertips and bent over them he lightly grazed her wrist with his lips. Then she turned to the woman and offered her hand in greetings to Mrs. Duvalier-Reid which she grasped firmly and pulled Scarlett to her and kissed both of her cheeks. Scarlett pulled back immediately with shock not knowing what to think of this gesture. Rhett chuckled and said to his guest. "My wife isn't a world traveler she doesn't know the ways of other countries." In a light French accent, since she had been in the states for quite some time, Madeleine quickly apologized, "Oh, I offer my sincerest apologies Mrs. Butler. I thought that since Rhett here traveled so much to Paris, that you had traveled with him also." Completely embarrassed and very nervous, Scarlett just smiled and looked down to the floor. She was going to tell Rhett to get his guests some refreshments, but when she looked up, she saw that Rhett was escorting Madeleine to the dance floor. She watched him as they turned to face each other as Rhett took Madeleine in his arms, it hurt Scarlett to see him place his hand firmly on Madeleine's waist and grasp her hand tightly in his. She noticed that they began talking to each other.

"Rhett, ta femme est très charmante." Madeleine said coquettishly. (Rhett, your wife is very charming.)

With a hint of a laugh Rhett answered, "Oui c'est vrai." (Yes that's true.)

Madeleine continued, "Mais pourquoi tu m'a jamais dit qu'elle était belle?"(But why didn't you ever tell me she was beautiful.)

"Parce que sa beauté est seulement sur la surface, ma chère." (Because her beauty is only on the surface, my dear.) He stated bitterly.

They continued to dance in comfortable silence staring into each other's eyes. As Scarlett watched them from a distance, it hurt her to see the look in Rhett's eyes. They were glowing with desire, a look that he used to give her but at the time she was too preoccupied with Ashley to ever notice or care what that look was. Now knowing what it is and what it meant to be desired by Rhett, Scarlett felt her heart clench. It killed her to see Rhett staring into Madeleine's eyes, while he would dance with Scarlett he would look all around the room as if planning an escape, now watching him dance with this other woman, it was quite obvious that he did not want to escape. Seeing how they danced so fluidly together and that they actually made a very handsome couple Scarlett began to breathe rapidly, afraid of fainting and causing a scene, she quickly ran over to the women's lounge and when she found a small table she leaned forward and put her hand on it to steady herself while she placed her other hand at her throat to try and slow down her breathing. While she composed herself she began to notice that there were some women in the other room and she could hear them talking.

"Oh! Did you see Captain Butler with his mistress?" said one woman.

"Yes, isn't she quite beautiful? And her clothes, they are obviously very expensive."

"Captain Butler must've bought them for her. She definitely dresses with much more class than Scarlett." The next woman said with a bit of a giggle.

"Oh how can you say such a thing! Poor Scarlett I feel quite sorry for her." Another woman interjected.

"You must be out of your senses Fanny, how can you feel sorry for her? Because of Scarlett you became a widow!" cried Maybelle Picard.

"Yes I know, but I still feel sorry for her. It must be terrible to have your husband's mistress at the same ball that you are attending and then be introduced to her." Fanny said with a hint of sadness.

"Well, I think it's what she deserves." A haughty nasal voiced India Wilkes chimed in.

"Oh India how can you say that?" said one woman with an air of sympathy in her voice.

"Scarlett O'Hara is white trash. She has always been white trash, even as a child. She is just getting all that she deserves, if there was any justice, she would get more." A very bitter India stated.

"India, are you saying that she deserved to lose her children? That she deserved to almost die?" Fanny asked with incredulity.

"Too bad she didn't die. As for losing her children. Don't you think it is better that they are dead than to have any of her children with that man running around Atlanta?"

"INDIA!" a chorus of shocked women cried.

"Oh India, what are you saying?" Fanny cried with disbelief.

"Exactly what I said, I think that it would be better if her son was dead too, then she wouldn't have any ties to my family!"

"Are you saying that Wade Hampton Hamilton would be better off dead just so that Scarlett would stay away from your family?" incredulity dripping from Fanny's tongue.

"Yes."

All eyes were on India with shock and disbelief that this woman who they had known since they were children could be so heartless and cruel. No one had noticed that a small shadow was behind them listening to every word that they were saying. When India stated her thoughts about Scarlett's children, the shadow stood to her full height and squared her shoulders and lifted her head then made a beeline for India Wilkes. Feeling all of the pent up rage that she had in her Scarlett slapped India across the face with all of her might and sent India sailing across the room. India fell on the floor in a most unladylike manner with her legs flailing in the air as Scarlett stood over her breathing heavily and deeply. "You hateful insolent old maid, how dare you say that my children deserve to be dead. Thank God that no man was stupid enough to make you his wife for then there would surely be some hateful and boorish children in this Godforsaken town!"

As India looked up at Scarlett she just gave her a look of pure unadulterated hatred and said, "I retract nothing. Your whole family would be better off dead than have to be saddled with a two-bit harlot like yourself!" Scarlett was seething and the look that she received from India was sent back two-fold as she looked down at India's bruised face, "Then it is a good thing that you are no longer living under Aunt Pitty's roof, because if you are not out by the end of this night, I will surely drag you out of your bed and throw you out on the street my self!"

"You wouldn't dare!" cried India.

"Try me."

And with that Scarlett turned around and walked out of the ladies lounge. Shock and guilt was written on all of the faces of the ladies that were present as she walked passed them. Scarlett took deep breaths so that she could calm herself. Finally succeeding in quelling her rage, Scarlett looked up and happened to see Rhett talking to Madeleine. He looked very interested in their conversation, and seemed to be enjoying himself. The anger that was coursing through Scarlett's veins suddenly turned ice cold and her chest felt tighter than any corset that she had ever worn. As she watched the pair she felt bile begin to rise from her stomach, again she began to breathe quickly but this time instead of rage filling her veins, sadness and heartache took its place. Scarlett had no where to hide so she quickly and quietly went to the cloakroom and gathered her belongings and stealthily snuck out of the ball. When she reached the entrance she heard her name being called. "Missus Butler, I'm right here. Do you need a ride ta home?" Startled but quickly collecting herself Scarlett replied to her coachman, "No Silas, I think I would like to walk home." Shocked and with a bit of fear Silas replied, "No'm Missus Butler, Cap'n Butler would skin me alive if he knew that I didn't drive you home!" Quickly rummaging through her reticule she handed Silas a five dollar bill, "Silas, you did not see me, do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am." And with that Silas quickly pocketed the bill and climbed back onto the carriage. Scarlett ran down the street as if the hounds of hell were chasing her, and in her mind she was being chased by the demons that she created. When she finally reached her monstrous home, she tiredly climbed the main stairway and slowly dragged her feet until she reached her bedroom. She had so much to think about and so many decisions to make. She called Prissy to help her out of her gown and when she was done, she rummaged through her closet and found the bottle of brandy that she had hidden in one of her hat boxes. She took one giant swig and let the liquid burn down her throat, feeling the liquor flowing through her veins, she then put the bottle back and went to sit on the chair that was near her window, tucking her feet under herself and staring out into the darkness. Her thoughts were flying around in her head like spirits on an All Hallow's Eve, tonight she wouldn't sleep, tonight she couldn't sleep.

The front door swung open and Rhett went running up the stairs two at a time, then he hurried down the hallway to Scarlett's room. Bursting in her room, he stood at the doorway breathing hard but silently relieved to have found her. "What the hell are you doing here? Why did you leave the ball?" he boomed. Scarlett just sat there quietly and continued to stare out of the window.

**Okay, now tell me what you think. I hope I found all of my typos, but I'm sure that I will hear about it if I didn't.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sorry for taking so long in this update. I guess I was lolly-gagging. I want to give a big thank you to Dreamy, she helps me make this happen. **_

"Scarlett!" Rhett boomed like the sound of thunder, Scarlett just sat there quietly staring out of the window. With growing impatience Rhett again called loudly, "Don't you hear me?" Nevertheless Scarlett sat there not moving an inch and most infuriatingly not acknowledging Rhett. He simply stood there silently fuming wondering why she would not acknowledge him.

Finally after what seemed like a lifetime Scarlett answered in a very quiet lifeless tone, "Yes I heard you Rhett."

Still in a state of annoyance, Rhett called to her in an agitated tone, "You didn't answer me Scarlett, why did you leave the ball?"

"I didn't feel well." She said in an emotionless voice.

"Then why did you go to the ball? We could have stayed home. I could have sent our excuses." A perturbed Rhett queried back.

"I became ill at the ball." And in her thoughts, _You made me ill._

"Well don't you think that you should have looked for me so that I could have escorted you home? You should not have left alone. How do you think that makes me look?" He said with a bit of sarcasm.

With a snort she said sarcastically, "I don't think I could have been able to tear you away from your _guest." _ Scarlett then continued with an impassive voice, "I tried not to believe the rumors, but when they are about you they always seem to come true for some unknown reason."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. It seemed that there was not one single sound coming from either of them or from around the house, it was as if they were in a vacuum where all sound was sucked away. Rhett was trying to come up with something to break the silence but for some unknown reason he was at a total loss for words. Then in a very quiet voice Scarlett asked the question that he knew she would eventually ask. "Who is she Rhett?"

In a deadpan voice he answered her, "I told you, she is a business partner."

Scoffing, Scarlett answered him back, "So you said, but truly Rhett, who is she and what is she to you?"

With a heavy sigh Rhett began his explanation, "She's the widow of an old business partner of mine. I had introduced them to each other many years ago. When he died he left the business to her. Taking a breath and letting it out slowly, he continued. "Well, when I went back to Charleston she was living there and running the business and having a very difficult time running it, so I stepped in to help her and well…." He trailed off.

Picking up where he left off, Scarlett finished for him, "And she became your … mistress." She snorted. She had always had a difficult time saying that word but now it just seemed to leap off of her tongue.

"Yes" came the terse answer.

"You must really hate me Rhett." She whispered then in a voice full of emotion she continued, "To bring her here and flaunt her in front of all of Atlanta. I thought that you had said that you would come here to keep the gossip down Rhett. But instead you made it so that I will be the subject of gossip for the rest of my life—I thank you…" she suspended her words for a moment but then added "and my children thank you."

Shocked by her mentioning the children, Rhett felt a twinge of guilt for inadvertently harming Scarlett's children. He hadn't meant for his actions to go this far, in fact he berated himself for even bringing his mistress with him. Yes he wanted to hurt Scarlett, let her know that he didn't want her and that he had moved on with his life but when all of this was playing out in his head, it never involved the children. _Oh dear God, how could I_ _have forgotten about Wade and Ella_. Rhett thought miserably.

As she began to think of the future of her children, Scarlett's blood began to race, her eyes narrowed and her heartbeat accelerated. The idea that her children would now be involved in this whole mess because he felt the need to hurt and humiliate her filled her with rage, and she began to harden her resolve towards Rhett, so she stood from the chair that she had been sitting upon and she slowly turned to face Rhett and as she began to feel her strength returning she stood her full 5'2" and dawned her battle stance.

"You know Rhett weren't you the one that said that I was a bad mother? What about you? You are the only father that my children have ever had. What have my children ever done to you besides love you? When you left me, you left them too, you broke their little hearts" her chest began to heave in anger as she continued with her observances, "What have they done to you that you would throw away their chances of being accepted by nice people and have them open to ridicule? Yes, I may be a bad mother but I would never _ever _abandon them and go to God knows where and break their hearts." Her voice was growing dangerously low as she began emphasizing each word. "I may be a bad mother, but I would never knowingly humiliate the man that they consider their father in front of their family and friends."

When he heard that admission he quickly countered,

"No but you would knowingly humiliate him by turning him out of your bed! How easy it was for you to do that, or don't you remember?"

She quickly answered him back, "Yes I remember and I regretted it the minute I said it, but I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid of you mocking me, you always seemed to take great pleasure in doing that." For a moment, sadness and regret took hold of her then she shook it off so that she could keep her anger at the surface and not let herself breakdown. While Rhett on the other hand took aim and went for her heart. "Well it worked no hardship on me, Belle was always very willing to share her bed." He said with caustic accuracy. Pain tore through Scarlett's heart while rage began to fill her soul and her blood began to boil and with fire in her eyes she looked at him with pure hatred "GET OUT!" she screamed.

"Did I hit a sore spot Scarlett?" Rhett drawled.

"I said get out!" she repeated with unmistakable pain in her voice. She looked around to see where she was and noticed her silver-plated hairbrush that was lying on her vanity table and quickly picked it up and heaving it with all of the strength that she had left from this nightmare of an evening she flung it at Rhett's head hoping to cause him injury so that it would blot out the pain in her heart.

But Rhett, always quick on his feet was able to dodge the shiny weapon as it flew passed his head and landed out in the hallway.

He looked at Scarlett and chuckled and said, "Don't worry, I'm leaving." Then he turned on his heel and left the room quietly closing the door behind him.

"And NEVER come back!" Scarlett called out behind the closed door hoping that he had heard her. Scarlett stood there for what felt like an eternity trying to control her breathing and her thoughts. When she was finally able to bring about her wits she crumbled to the floor in a heap and wept. Wept for the loss of the man she had grown to love too late, for the pain and rage that consumed her at finding he had not only moved on but also enjoyed flaunting his mistress, and for the defeat of any lingering hope that she might have had in a future with Rhett, she now knew that would not transpire. Not for her, and not even for her children.

She was there all night, crumpled and fully-clothed in a restless sleep, and when the morning sun peeked in through the curtains the sunbeams landed on her face and woke her up and she rubbed a hand over her drowsy eyes. As Scarlett slowly pushed herself off of the floor-as she was still groggy from the night before-she remembered the events of the previous night and slowly walked out of her room and down the hallway towards Rhett's bedroom. She noticed that the door was open then peeked in and found it to be empty. Rhett had left sometime in the night as was his usual way. A lump began to form in her throat and her eyes were beginning to burn as tears started welling in the corners of her eyes and as she gradually walked to her room and then as she crossed the hall her foot happened to kick something. She looked down and saw her hairbrush then the memories of their argument came flooding clearly into her mind. "Good riddance Rhett Butler." Then she called Prissy to start up a bath for her, because she had a busy day ahead of her.

As Rhett and his companions boarded the first train that was headed out of Atlanta, he had been very morose and seemed quite preoccupied. Both Madeleine and Mitchell looked at him with curiosity and a bit of concern wondering what had happened to him that his attitude had seemed to change over night.

"I thought that we were going to stay a little while longer, mon chéri." A very perplexed and concerned Madeleine commented upon noticing Rhett's dark mood.

"Well my dear, plans do change and I believe we've been in Atlanta long enough and it is time to move on, wouldn't you say so." He stated with barely suppressed annoyance. Madeleine simply gave him a knowing look then added, "I understand. That is what you wanted isn't it? Wasn't that the real reason why I came along? Hmm?"

"My dear…" Rhett drawled "I brought you along for business purposes, if it turned into more than that well…" he trailed off and shrugged his shoulders.

"Mon amour, are you sure that you know what you are doing?" Madeleine questioned.

Rhett simply glared at her and snapped, "I know what I am doing."

"I think that you are slitting your own throat." She said with contempt and as she narrowed her eyes she sneered back at him then sashayed over to join Mitchell.

While on the tense train ride back to Charleston, Madeleine and Mitchell kept themselves busy by chatting about whom they met while in Atlanta. They both seemed to have liked the place and the people that they came into contact with. Mitchell even stated that he liked Mrs. Butler, that she was very charming and quite pretty. "Too bad she left the ball early. I would have liked to have danced with her." He said forlornly.

Their conversation grated on Rhett's nerves so much that he growled at them to go and take their yapping to the other side of the car. Rhett sat brooding throughout the journey back to Charleston. He knew that he made a mess of everything and that Scarlett would never forgive him for humiliating her in front of the Old Guard of Atlanta and for also causing the possible ridicule of her children. He had never seen her defend her children as she had, he thought that she didn't give a damn about them. It bewildered him to see her take on so, he wished that she would have taken on about Bonnie in that way, but then he remembered that he never even let her be in the same room alone with the child. How could she have ever had the chance to defend the child if he had never even given her the chance to connect with the child?

So Rhett sat near the window of the private car and contemplated his actions. He had only wanted to create distance between himself and Scarlett, but in the process he had forgotten what the cost would truly be. In his desperation to bail out of his marriage, he also jettisoned Wade's and Ella's chances at being accepted into Atlanta's polite society. Because of him they would be shunned, because of him when it came time for them to marry, they would have to leave Atlanta to find a mate, hell they would probably have to leave Georgia if not the whole south. Trying to shake away the thoughts that were bombarding his head-at which he failed miserably- Rhett thought, _you stupid selfish bastard, how could you hurt Wade and Ella? How could you ruin their lives?_ Closing his eyes he cradled his head in his hands and silently wept while swaying with the rhythmic clacking of the train traveling down the tracks and out of Georgia.

**_Okay, now tell me what you think. : )_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is an update for all of you that have been clamoring for one. I hope you like it. I want to thank Dreamy for helping me in this chapter, if it weren't for her for her encouragement, I might not have continued writing this.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of GWTW I sure wish I did, then I could have a laptop instead of writing in a composition book, but alas I do not. This story is written because I have something to say and I receive no money or gratuities for this, it is just for pleasure. **

Chapter 5

Scarlett awoke to the sounds of birds twittering, eggs frying and the wonderful aroma of bacon. For a moment she was once again Katie Scarlett O'Hara, 16-years-old and the belle of three counties with not one care in the world. Then as she stretched her body to its furthest point, she caught a glimpse of the gaudy diamond and emerald ring on her left hand-her allusion was over. She now remembered where she was, and why she was there. It had been a week since Rhett's final departure from her life. She was still hurt by his actions, but she was also still furious that he would involve her children in such a scandalous affair.

As she lay there thinking about the previous week, her mind went back to the day that she had set her feet on the path that she was now taking. She had gone to her Uncle Henry to tell him that she would be leaving Atlanta for an undetermined amount of time and that if he could please look after her store's interests. She also asked him to make sure that India was packed and out of the house that she half-owned with him. He had asked her why, but she refused to divulge that information. All she had told him was that if India was still living under that roof, she would no longer contribute any money to the upkeep of the house. Also she set up an account for Ashley at the store so that he could buy all of the provisions that he and Beau needed. Earlier in the day she had gone in to the store to tell the clerk that anything that Ashley would buy should be sold to him at cost, she knew that she would be losing money, but her promise to Melanie was stronger than her urge to make more money. Before she concluded the business that she had with Henry she asked him if he could possibly look for a competent lawyer that would be able to discreetly handle a divorce. Of course Henry was shocked, but then he remembered the events at the ball, so he understood even though he disapproved. So he had complied, and said that he would send her a telegram when he finds the right sort of person to handle the procedures.

When the week progressed without any word from Uncle Henry Scarlett was beginning to worry that he would be unable find a person with enough courage and know-how to go up against Rhett Butler. So to keep herself busy, she set about preparing a birthday party for Wade. She planned on inviting the local families that know him, such as the Fontaines and the Tarletons, of course she would invite Aunt Pitty and Uncle Henry, and then there was Ashley and Beau, but she would make sure that the invitations did not include India. Scarlett was sure that if she was to lay eyes on India Wilkes she would more than likely commit murder then she would bury her body right next to the dead Yankee soldier under the scuppernong vine, where in Scarlett's opinion India deserved to rot.

The day of Wade's birthday arrived and Scarlett was actually fluttering around, she was so happy that she was to be the hostess of a party at Tara, much to Suellen's chagrin. Scarlett had ordered enough food to supply all of the inhabitants of Tara for sixth months. She had Wade's favorite food made, such as fried chicken with roasted potatoes and biscuits with honey and butter there were no vegetables because Wade did not care much for them, for dessert Wade had requested Kisses and Secrets, which were diminutive cakes that had slips of paper wrapped around them that either a poem or joke was written. Melanie had always made them for Beau and Wade, and this was Wade's way of including his Aunt Melanie in his birthday party since she was now a memory that he kept close to his heart.

When it came time for Wade to receive his gifts, Will and Suellen gave him a nice pair of work boots, and Ashley and Beau gave him a new book by Jules Vern, it was called _Around the World in 80 Days_, they were quite sure that he would enjoy it. Uncle Henry gave him a law book so that he could start learning the law and Aunt Pitty had embroidered his initials on some handkerchiefs she said that "All gentlemen had personalized linen." Scarlett could hardly contain herself and she wished that Wade would hurry as he opened each gift carefully and examined it and then thanked the giver with a big hug. When finally Wade came to Scarlett's gift, she sat there nervously holding her breath and fingering her cuffs on her dress hoping that he would like what she had given him, this was the first heartfelt gift that she had ever given to him. The gift was in a fist-sized box with a big red bow. Wade pulled on the bow and it came loose, then he slowly lifted the lid and as he looked inside, his eyes grew big and lit up, he quickly looked up at Scarlett with total amazement, and she too was watching him. His small hand slowly reached inside of the box and he pulled out a gold pocket watch which had his initials etched into the front cover when suddenly Ella's voice rang out "Oh Wade it's so pretty, open it up!" Wade scowled at her but quickly acquiesced, the inscription inside read_:_

_To my son Wade Hampton on his twelfth birthday. May you always have time for those you love. With all my love, Your Mother. _

After reading the inscription to those around him, his eyes were shining with unshed tears and he looked more like Melanie Hamilton then Scarlett have ever given notice to and it brought a lump to her throat and she had to look away before she began to cry. _Oh Melanie, you are still here with me, but how I failed you with Rhett, he left me Melly._ She sadly thought. Wade stood up from his chair and shyly walked over to Scarlett and gave her the biggest hug that he had ever bestowed on anyone. "Oh thank you Mother, I will take care of this forever." And then in a shy quiet whisper he added "I love you."

Hearing how heartfelt the words were Scarlett could no longer hold in her tears and hugged Wade with all of her might and said to him in a watery voice "I love you too Wade."

Wiping the tears away from her face Scarlett said, "Okay, now it's time for the birthday cake." So they ate chocolate birthday cake made by Rosa, the cook at Tara, until they could no longer eat any more.

As Winter turned to Spring, Scarlett still had not heard from Henry regarding a lawyer. She was beginning to wonder if she would always be tied to Rhett in some way or another, she surely hoped not. During this time, Scarlett became closer to her children having a common bond—their abandonment by Rhett—they seemed to cling to each other more tightly than ever. Ella was very bewildered by it all. She seemed to think that he had left because of her. She thought that maybe he wouldn't have gone if it was she who had died instead of Bonnie. Then there was Wade, the new man of the house. He knew that there was something wrong between his mother and step-father, what it was he didn't know, but whatever it was, he was going to make sure that his step-father never hurt his mother again.

While Scarlett was away, the women of Atlanta were having a gossiping field day at her expense. At first they gossiped about how Rhett had brought his mistress to Atlanta to entertain him, they had known about him and Belle for many years, but this news came as a complete surprise. The event that they were gossiping most about was the confrontation between Scarlett and India Wilkes. While it was the younger ladies that were present at that event, many of the older women heard about it almost while it was happening. While most of the ladies did not care for Scarlett, many felt that she was well within her rights as a mother to attack India for saying such cruel and heartless words. India had gone quite beyond any semblance of civility in her tirade. Wishing the death of a relative is bad enough, but when that relative is a child, well then what ever happens to the offender is quite justified in their collective opinions. Quietly some of the ladies thought that India had become unhinged and that maybe Ashley should have her sent away for her own good.

_Scarlett is coming back to Atlanta today_ thought Henry Hamilton. He had sent her a telegram beckoning her to return to Atlanta so that he could discuss her case and the news that he was going to give her regarding who will be taking the case. He laughed inwardly as he recalled the day that he had asked India Wilkes to vacate Pittypat's home. He had told her in no uncertain terms that she had to leave the premises as quickly as possible because Scarlett was coming to town and she had told him under no circumstances was India to be under Pitty's roof. Of course India at first balked at the demand but then relented when Henry told her that Pitty would be homeless if it wasn't for Scarlett so with great reluctance India went to her room and began packing.

India was fuming mad when Henry had first approached her about leaving the Hamilton home under Scarlett's orders. She had protested and threatened, declaring that she would not leave the house, not even if Scarlett came and escorted her out. But understanding the reasoning as to why she must leave brought her back to her senses. There were not enough funds to keep the house running without Scarlett's contribution to its upkeep and even the distraught Pittypat who was terrified of living without a protector had to accept her fate. India Wilkes had to leave, and not one lady who had witnessed her public outburst at the ball thought that it was not deserved.

India began to pack her things, outwardly cursing Scarlett's name while throwing every item of clothing into her trunk with force and growing more infuriated as the time to leave approached. The fact that her most bitter enemy had gotten the best of her and had the power to throw her out of her own family's home burned a blazing fury inside of her and she envisioned wringing Scarlett's neck. Unfortunately, neither anger nor a lasting bitter resentment had the power to change what was to come. So a sour-faced India Wilkes left Aunt Pitty's house and was forced to live with her brother Ashley, who had just recently moved back to the home that he had shared with his beloved wife Melanie which he had vacated after her death. If she could not move in with him, she would be forced to move in with her sister Honey and her husband who India did not like or approve of. If Scarlett had been lucky enough to witness this fortunate event herself, she would have had a smirk of satisfaction lighting her face with the purest delight.

When the train pulled into the Atlanta depot, Scarlett's stomach began to clench and her heart tightened into a knot. So many bittersweet memories came to mind as she saw the town that she had come to love and loathe at the same time. She had moved there to be near Ashley but the move was more of a move to her independence. She had done so many things against all that she was taught –she had chased after a married man, she had flaunted herself in front of everyone while pregnant and then inadvertently caused the man she was married to die a brutal death. She had married Rhett for money, bore his child and then buried that child all too soon. She had realized she loved him and at the same moment lost him all because of her blindness and stubbornness. So many things had gone wrong in Scarlett's life that she knew that she had to make a clean break of that past life and begin anew in order to start a new chapter of her life. She knew that she would survive because she was like buckwheat, it could bend with the fiercest of winds, but it would still stand tall, and she smiled as she thought of how Grandma Fontaine had told her that at Gerald's funeral. Well she may have bent far but she would not break that was for sure. As Scarlett stepped off of the train, she was struck by how busy the station was. She had gotten used to the slowness of Tara and of the county, and had forgotten the hustle and bustle of the growing town that refused to surrender. She smiled inwardly at how she and Atlanta had both been through war and had both survived.

Scarlett looked all around for the carriage that Henry was to have waiting for her. Finally she caught sight of a very modest carriage with a young light-skinned black man driving it, he looked like he had just pulled up and he quickly jumped down from his perch and began scanning the area with his vivid blue eyes. He caught Scarlett's eyes then quickly looked down showing his subservient nature. Then he walked over to Scarlett and said "Are you Mrs. Butler?" Scarlett was caught by surprise by his manner of speaking. He didn't sound like any of the other darkies that she knew. This man sounded much more sophisticated. Quickly hiding her surprise she answered, "Yes I am. Are you the driver of the carriage that Unc…that Henry Hamilton sent to pick me up?" "Yes ma'am I am. My name is Samuel. I came here by Mr. Hamilton's request." Looking around for her bags he continued, "Well ma'am where are your bags?"

"I didn't bring any, I plan on leaving later this afternoon to go back home."

"Alright ma'am I see. Well let me help you to this here carriage and get you over to Mr. Hamilton's office." He looked at her with a smile.

Scarlett entered Henry's office quietly and stood nervously in front of Henry's desk, which had papers strewn all over it. "Hello Uncle Henry."

Startled, Henry looked up from his paper work and then a smile spread across his face. "Well it's about time that you got here" he said with fake annoyance. "I got here as quick as I could. Trains don't just come and go every hour you know." Scarlett answered defensively. With a small chuckle Henry tried to soothe her, "Yes I know. Scarlett, I am glad that you are here, I have some things to go over with you regarding who will be taking your case." He looked over his reading glasses to look up at her. "Please do sit down, I don't like you towering over me" he said with a hint of annoyance.

Scarlett gracefully sat down on the chair that was in front of Henry's desk, so she began the dreaded conversation. "Alright Uncle Henry what is it that you summoned me here for? Is it Rhett, did he send you something? Does he want a divorce? Is it the store? What is it?" she anxiously questioned. "No, no it isn't the store or Rhett. What I wanted to speak with you about is my search for a lawyer to handle your divorce from Captain Butler."

Scarlett's face fell and her body slumped a little bit. Shaking off her feeling of resignation she straightened her spine, lifted her chin then looked aggressively into Henry's old grey eyes and she was ready to take whatever it was that he was going to throw at her.

Henry took in a deep breath and began his sale of services "Scarlett, I have decided to take your case. I have looked around this darned town and I didn't like what I saw. Even some of my oldest colleagues were more interested in what they could get from you than what they could do for you. Even though you know how I feel about divorce, I completely understand why you want to separate yourself from Captain Butler."

Scarlett had not been expecting this. She looked at Henry with shock but then admiration and gratefulness stepped in and took over. She felt completely relieved that someone was going to take her case and that she could begin the process of ending her marriage to Rhett and move on with hers and her children's lives. With a grateful sigh and relief in her voice she responded, "Oh thank you Uncle Henry. Oh my, should I still call you Uncle Henry? After all this is a very serious matter I don't want to take advantage of our being related, if only by marriage."

"Scarlett, you are my niece, but you are also my client. Do I not take care of your business dealings with your store? You may still refer to me as 'Uncle Henry' after all that is what I am, correct?"

"Yes Uncle Henry and thank you." She said with shyness and complete honesty.

Taking the bull by the horns, Henry began telling Scarlett what must be done. "Well, we must get started. We will have to draw up the petition for divorce. We will have to sight adultery and abandonment as the reason for this action. I will make a motion for this procedure to happen as quickly as possible but it may take quite some time especially since Rhett is currently living in Charleston, or so I presume. South Carolina does not recognize divorce but since you are living in Georgia we will be using the court system here and hopefully we will find a judge that is willing to grant you a divorce. It could take quite some time, probably years but let us hope that it won't be that long."

"I don't want much just what is mine from the sale of the mills and of course all of my store's earnings and any thing that pertains to it. As for the house, I will do whatever he wants concerning that, he did have it built for me and he has always hated it so I think that he will leave it to me." Scarlett had returned to her business mode and was in complete control, any prior insecurity all but a memory.

"All right then, I will have the Decree of Divorce printed up and I will have you look it over before you sign it, if there are any necessary changes we will do it then, after that I will have it sent to his lawyer in Charleston and he can then get a hold of Rhett and the proceedings will commence."

Scarlett nodded her head curtly and said "Thank you Uncle Henry, I will be waiting to hear from you at Tara." Walking out of his office she then headed towards Aunt Pitty's house. She wanted to make sure that India had vacated the small dwelling. Satisfied with the total outcome of the day, Scarlett departed for the train depot to wait for the next train that was headed to Jonesboro and Tara.

Rhett Butler sat at his desk in his office in the townhouse that he owned in Paris. He had purchased this place after he first left Scarlett. He used it as a safe haven a place where he could just sit, think, and drink where no one would bother him and more importantly no one could find him, with the exception of his trusted lawyer Maxwell Chapman. While shuffling through the paper on his desk he came upon a large envelope, the return address was Maxwell's law offices Rhett ever curious quickly picked it up. While pulling out the papers that were sent a small envelope dropped out of the melee. Setting down the contents of the envelope he bent over to pick up the small missive. Looking it over he recognized the sweeping feminine script as belonging to Scarlett. His mouth became dry and he swallowed with difficulty as he nervously began to open it. Laughing at himself for acting like a man awaiting a death sentence he opened the envelope and pulled out a short letter. It read:

_Dear Rhett,_

_I hope this letter finds that you are well and that you are also happy. I am writing you so that I can grant you your most sincere wish. You will no longer have to be tied to me and my children. I am granting you the divorce that you so badly wanted. I am not asking for much, just what is rightly mine, all the rest is yours and you may do with it as you please. As for the house I will live in it until you decide what you want to do with it, after all it is yours even though you have always stated that it was an 'architectural horror' I will abide by what ever your wishes may be._

_On a more personal note I would like to say that I am sorry for all of the pain and sorrow that I have put upon you. I never meant for that to happen._

_One thing I would like you to know regarding my loss of the baby all those years ago. I wanted it. I was so happy to be with child, it was your child, but I guess that it was not meant to be. As for our Bonnie, I am truly sorry for saying all of those hateful things to you, it was an accident and I want you to know that I do not blame you for any of it._

_Well I believe it is time for me to say my final goodbye. I just want you to know this, I still do care very much for you, but with that said I will survive without you Rhett, you know that I will. I do hope that you find what ever it is that you seek and that it brings you much happiness. Goodbye._

_Scarlett_

Crumpling up the paper and throwing it into the waste basket next to his desk, Rhett quickly stood up and walked over to the liquor cabinet. He grabbed a decanter of bourbon and sloppily poured it into a glass that was stored inside with all of the liquor for his convenience, and then he placed the glass to his lips, tipped his head back and quickly bolted down the amber liquid. Feeling the warmth of the golden poison flow through his veins he quietly growled, "Damn you Scarlett O'Hara, may you rot in hell."

**A/N Jules Verne did publish _Around the World in Eighty Days_ in 1873 I just don't know what month, so I ad-libbed. Hope you don't mind.**

** Please review, I would like to know your thoughts.**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sorry it took me so long to update. I was having a bit of difficulty with this chapter. Also RL has kept me busy so I have been a bit distracted. I do hope that you like this chapter, if so please tell me, if not, again, please tell me. So on with the story...**_

Chapter 6—LOTI

It had been several weeks since the petition for divorce was sent to Rhett and not a single word had been heard by either Henry or Scarlett. Henry thought that Rhett's lawyer hadn't been able to get the papers to him yet, but Scarlett was sure that Rhett was up to something. Rhett Butler doesn't like to be surprised, and she was sure that she had surprised him plenty. She had made the first bold step and had beaten him to the punch. Now all she had to do was sit and wait, and wait she did. As weeks turned in to months, Scarlett began to wonder if Rhett had actually received the papers and her letter. If he had, she was sure that he didn't care. She just wished that he would do something so that she could begin her life anew. It was hard living in limbo.

It was hard trying to explain to the children, why Rhett wasn't there. It was especially hard trying to explain it to Ella. Rhett had been the only father figure that she had ever known in her short span of life and even then, she had to share him with Bonnie. One afternoon while Scarlett was taking a stroll on the grounds of Tara, she came upon Ella quietly talking to a little black kitten. Ella was desperately clinging to the squirming feline and crying at the same time. "Please don't leave me…please don't leave me… everybody leaves me!" she cried. "I'll be good…I'll be good!" But the little kitten finally had had enough and let out its sharp claws into Ella's arm and the little girl howled in pain thus letting the feline scurry away. She then began to cry as if the world had ended, and indeed it had for the 7-year-old girl. Her baby sister had died and her beloved step-father had left them. Scarlett's heart ached for her young daughter. It wasn't Ella's fault that Rhett had gone. _It's my fault_ Scarlett thought with anguish. Swallowing the hard lump that had formed in her throat, she quickly gathered her daughter up into her arms, then carefully settled down into the grass that Ella had been previously sitting in as she gently pushed Ella's head to her chest and began to slowly rock her, letting her cry to her hearts content.

Listening to the heartbreak that Ella was letting out, Scarlett felt a bit jealous at the ease the little girl was able to relieve her sorrow. Brushing aside her pettiness, she began to stroke her hair and hum a tune that her own mother used when she was a little girl. It seemed to soothe both Ella and Scarlett because while she was humming, Ella's sobbing seemed to quiet down some. There were still some hiccoughs and sniffles, but she slowly calmed down in her mother's arms.

Sniffling, Ella looked up into Scarlett's eyes and quietly asked, "Why does God hate me?"

Startled by the question, Scarlett quickly answered her woeful daughter, "God doesn't hate you sweetheart."

"Yes he does!" little Ella cried. "He took my daddy, then my bestest friend Bonnie and then he took Aunt Melly! He hates me and I try to be so good." Again she began to sob. Scarlett just looked down at her daughter unable to explain why the things happened as they had. "Mother, would Uncle Rhett still be here if I had gone to heaven instead of Bonnie?" Stunned by her question, Scarlett stammered before she could think of an answer. "Well….um…I…I don't know sweety, I really don't know."

Wistfully Ella added, "I wish God had taken me to heaven instead of Bonnie, cuz then Uncle Rhett would be here and you would be happy." A wave of guilt swept over Scarlett as she remembered wishing if God had to take one of her children, why couldn't it have been Ella instead. A chill went up her back and she automatically made the sign of the cross over her chest.

"Oh Ella honey, God has his reasons for doing what He does. We just have to live with it." Scarlett explained. She quickly kissed Ella's ginger locks and resumed rocking her gently. Ella looked up at her mother with questioning eyes.

"But why did he have to take my best friend?" Looking down at Ella, Scarlett silently added _He took my best friend too._ Scarlett continued rocking Ella, she needed to think of what to tell the children about the divorce. It wouldn't be fair to leave them in the dark and risk the chance that they might truly start to believe that Rhett's leaving had been their fault.

While Scarlett and Ella were sitting out in the fields of Tara, Wade had stumbled upon them, but he didn't make his presence known. He just stood quietly behind them and listened to Ella's sobs and then the ensuing conversation. He knew that Rhett had left them and had also heard about the fiasco at the ball. He was angry with Rhett, and after hearing Ella wish that she was dead so that he would have stayed made him even more angry. He vowed that Rhett would never hurt his family again.

Scarlett had been living at Tara for a few months and was growing rather tired of Suellen's huffing and puffing and moaning and groaning. It seemed that every time that Scarlett was in the same room as Suellen she would be on the receiving end of Suellen's sarcasm. If Scarlett happened to walk into a room that Suellen was occupying, Suellen would immediately walk out and mumble something under her breath. Nothing Scarlett did could please Suellen.

Scarlett had offered to buy some new dresses for her nieces but Suellen stopped that by saying, "What's wrong Scarlett. Don't my children look pretty enough or clean enough for you? Not all children have access to the bundle of money that you seem to carry around with you."

"Oh Suellen, do shut up. I was just trying to be a good aunt and provide them with some new dresses. All little girls love new dresses. Far be it from me if you would prefer that your children run around looking like ragamuffins." She huffed.

Whenever a chance to slight her sister presented itself, Suellen took that opportunity to knock her down a peg or two. During one afternoon, Scarlett had arrived in the dining room for lunch when Suellen sarcastically spat, "Oh so her majesty has finally decided to bless us with her presence."

Scarlett, who woke up late after having a virtually sleepless night, looked up at her with disgust. "Suellen if you don't shut your mouth, I will shut it for you," she answered tiredly.

"O yes the mighty Scarlett O'Hara has spoken and I must do as she says." Suellen replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Why don't you go back home to your husband?" she continued smugly. "Why hasn't he come here to fetch you? Hm?"

Scarlett just sat at the table and said nothing, she was too tired to argue but she knew that she could not let Suellen find out that her marriage was over, at least not before the final papers were signed. "What my husband does or where he goes is none of your concern."

As Suellen slowly sashayed toward Scarlett, her countenance was of someone who had a juicy secret, she slyly smiled and with dripping sweetness said, "Is it that you do not know where or who he is with?"

Suellen was having a good time watching Scarlett squirm since she had heard the rumors of what had happened at the Veteran's Ball, and this juicy gossip was much too tempting for her to resist using the information to needle her sister."Could he be with the blonde French woman that I heard tell about?" Suellen cooed.

Standing up immediately, Scarlett swiftly slapped Suellen in the face. "Wipe that smirk off of your face you hateful thing! You don't know anything about what my life has been. So if I were you I would keep your big mouth shut!"

Putting her hand up to her injured cheek, Suellen's eyes narrowed and she countered, "It seems that your husbands leave you one way or another. What is it? Two dead and one…let's see, run away!" She then laughed, it was not a happy laugh but one filled with hate and bitterness.

Scarlett shot back, "At least these men _wanted_ to marry me instead of _having_ to marry me so that the neighbors wouldn't talk about me."

Quickly, Suellen shot her an angry glare, knowing all along that Will had only married her to keep her safe from any wagging tongues and also to stay on living at Tara. Will Benteen had loved Carreen but knew that he would never have her heart, so he quietly resolved to let her go to become a nun and to marry Suellen.

Suellen shouted at Scarlett bitterly, "At least I didn't kill the man that you stole from me!"

But Scarlett volleyed back "No, you didn't, but you did have something to do with Pa's death!"

Suellen blanched at the accusation, she had always regretted the actions that led to her father's death. She stared at Scarlett with shock but then her face changed and displayed an undisguised hatred. "I hate you Scarlett! How could you remind me of Pa. I didn't mean for any of that to happen, it was just a horrible accident!"

"And I had to do what I had to do. If I hadn't of done what I did, you would be homeless and living God knows where. There was no one but me to find the money we needed for the taxes on Tara so yes I 'stole' Frank, but he wasn't even man enough to come and say anything to you." Scarlett said in disgust. Her eyes were still glittering dangerously but her heavy breathing had abated as she was calming herself down and readying herself for more of Suellen's venom. But none came.

Suellen stood there sobbing quietly her shoulders shaking "Why couldn't he have just come and ask me?" she wailed. "How could he think that I would just forget about him and marry some one else. I cared for him." She continued in a bereaved voice. Then remembering whom she was speaking to, she said, "Scarlett you have it easy now, you have all the money you want a big house and all of the clothes that you could ask for. I have five dresses and I haven't had a new one in ages. I wish I had your life."

Scarlett looked at Suellen with contempt but in a far off voice she told her sister, "You don't want my life. Yes I have money, clothes and a big house, but my problems are just as big. I have a household to run, which is a huge chore in itself, then there is Wade and Ella, and of course Aunt 'Lalie & Aunt Pauline, oh yes there's Aunt Pittypat, and now I have to take care of Ashley and the mills for Melly because I promised her that I would. Then of course there is my store, is there anything else I left out?" as she continued her diatribe Suellen couldn't help but ask, "What about your husband? Doesn't he help you? Where is he?"

Averting her eyes, Scarlett looked out of the doorway as if looking for someone. She sat there quietly for some time thinking of what she should tell her sister, and then decided finally that it was best not to tell her the whole truth.

"Rhett is in Charleston. He had business to attend to there and it will take him quite a while to sort it all out," Scarlett said smoothly and quickly, hoping that her sister wouldn't notice how she was wringing her hands and blinking furiously to keep from shedding any tears. She did not want the world to know her business, it was bad enough that all of Atlanta knew it, and she'd be damned if she let Suellen tattle to all Clayton county.

So with this thought she decided that it was time to leave Tara. Scarlett had been thinking about taking the children to Savannah where she had happy memories of the times as a child when she had gone there with her parents. She had always had a fun time, so she felt that it would do Wade and Ella some good and hopefully they would create some good memories for them to cherish. With purpose and finality, she looked at Suellen squarely in the eyes, "Well, you won't have to bother with me and my children much longer. We will be leaving at the end of the week." She then turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

_**I hope it met with your approval.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Sorry this took so long for me to update, but soccer season is upon us and I have children to taxi around. A big Thank You to Dreamy for helping me on this chapter._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Gone with the Wind, if I did, I would have Corrin Or Alica write the sequels, not the two idiots that were allowed to write their drivel._**

Chapter 7

Scarlett was relieved when they had finally reached Savannah. Four days locked in a train with two children was enough to drive her mad. During the endless ride, Ella asked question after question, which at first Scarlett didn't mind, but then she kept on asking the same ones over and over again.

Finally, Scarlett put a stop to all of the incessant questioning when Ella asked, "Do you think that Uncle Rhett would be able to meet us in Savannah?" Scarlett looked at Ella as if she had two heads. She had thought that Ella had understood that Rhett was not going to come back, so when she asked this last question, Scarlett's mind reeled. When Scarlett finally answered the unwanted question her voice came out low and slow as if she was having difficulty breathing.

"No. He is not going to meet us in Savannah."

Ella looked at her mother with curiosity, wondering why her mother looked as though she had just swallowed bees. "Well, then will he pick us up at the train station in Atlanta when we go home?"

"Hush Ella!" Wade harshly whispered. He saw the furrowed brow of his mother and the reluctance in her eyes about speaking of the future or of speaking about anything that pertained to Rhett. Scarlett didn't know what the future was going to hold, all she knew was that one day she would receive divorce papers from Rhett and then her life would be over, or at least life as she knew it. In order to ease this lasting discomfort from her daughter's words, Scarlett decided to try and steer Ella into some more pleasant conversation. "So honey, what do you want to do while we are in Savannah?" Scarlett said with all the sweetness that she could muster.

"Oh Mother, I want to see the ocean." Ella said with a hopeful note.

Scarlett smiled at her and answered, "I'm sure that can be arranged. How about you Wade? What do you want to do while we're there?"

Wade looked at her thoughtfully and said quite shyly, "I would like to go to the museum and the public library."

"The library? Why in heaven's name would you want to do a thing like that?" Scarlett answered incredulously. She was not a person who liked to read and thought that it was a silly way to pass time.

Wade just lowered his head into his chest and said in a whisper, "I don't know."

Realizing too late that she had hurt Wade's feelings, Scarlett tried to correct her mistake. "Oh Wade honey, instead of the library, why don't I take you to a book store and you can buy any book that pleases you."

Looking up hopefully and with a very wide grin he replied, "Oh Mother, could we? I mean…thank you Mother, I would like that."

Happy that she could bring back Wade's smile, Scarlett turned her head to look out of the train's window and watched the scenery float by. Both children then began talking about what they would do while in Savannah. As they happily chattered, Scarlett let her mind take a walk in the past. She was remembering her trips to Savannah with her mother and father. They were such happy times, they would all wander down to the shoreline and Scarlett would run into the water at a breakneck speed while her mother would call to her to be careful. Gerald would jump into the ocean and he and Scarlett would play like young seals, while Suellen would just stay at the edge of the water and barely get her feet wet, while baby Carreen would stay at her mother's side. Those were such happy times and Scarlett missed them terribly, but just as soon as the melancholy would begin to cloud her mind, she would quickly shake it away. She was not going to live in the past. She was here to start memories for her children to look back upon with fondness.

Stepping off of the train, Scarlett felt relief. No one in Savannah knew her so there would be no awkward moments of explaining why she was in town without her husband. She hailed a cab and asked the driver to take them to the hotel district. There had been no time to find a decent hotel when she left Tara since she had been in too much of a hurry to escape from Suellen's constant complaining and bad humor, so she had asked the driver to recommend a nice hotel. He took her to the Marshall House Hotel- it was the oldest hotel in Savannah and had been refurbished after the war. It was said that Sherman used it as a hospital for the Union soldiers. Stopping in front of the hotel, Scarlett looked at it's battered façade and thought _that's what I feel like—battered._ But she decided that this was good enough to house her and her children for the up-coming weeks. The driver alighted from his seat and gently handed her out of the carriage, much to Wade's chagrin, for he had wanted to be the one to help his mother exit the carriage, after all it is his job as the man of the house to take care of the women in his family and he took his job quite seriously.

When they entered the hotel, they looked around and noticed that the inside didn't look as battered at the outside. Again, Scarlett felt a little kinship with the building, but in her case she was battered on the inside and her exterior looked remarkably well. She walked up to the service desk and asked for two rooms which adjoin each other, she was quickly given two keys and the porter then helped her and the children upstairs with their luggage. Their rooms were done very tastefully. There was dark oak furniture and each room had two large beds. They were decorated in very soothing colors, and the couches that were in each room were of a moss green while the large beds were covered with ivory coverlets. There was also a cozy fireplace with a brick mantel and there were doors leading out to the balcony, which overlooked the courtyard. All in all, it suited Scarlett's purpose for a cozy and homey place for her and her children to stay while they were in Savannah. The children were happy that they were to share their own room. They didn't want to stay with Scarlett because they knew that she usually had nightmares and knowing how loud and violent they can get, they were relieved to find that they would not be subject to the frightening sounds.

The three of them were exhausted so they napped the morning away and part of the afternoon. They finally woke up and freshened up so that they could go down to the dining room and have a late lunch. All three ate as if they hadn't eaten in weeks. Each looking up at each other, their collective faces became a light shade of red. Wade and Ella were embarrassed by their lack of manners, but Scarlett just smiled at her two hungry children, and with awe and happiness, they both dug into their food.

Scarlett enjoyed the time she had with her children. She had taken them to the beach quite a few times and also had taken them to go sight-seeing through-out the city. Wade was the best tour giver that Scarlett had ever known. After buying him a book on the history of Savannah, they rode about town in a carriage and when they would stop at Wade's request, he would go into an oratory about the importance of the building or park that they were visiting. Their beach excursions always brought back happy memories for Scarlett. While watching her children frolic in the ocean, she smiled as she remembered Mammy scolding her for having fun. _"Miz Scarlett, you gits over hyah and stop runnin' aroun' like a wile injun. You needs to behave like lil Mis Carreen hyah." Little Scarlett would just look and Mammy and stick out her tongue and run down to the shoreline and jump right back into the water. Of course, after all of the sun that she had taken in, Mammy would scrub her with buttermilk until she was a shining red color._ Scarlett huffed out a small breath and donned a bittersweet smile. now understanding why Ashley would always become melancholy when he reminisced about the past. She pushed back all thoughts of Ashley, as she always pushed back unpleasant thoughts. Ashley was now forever linked with all of her mistakes and misfortunes.

The small family thrived with their time together and Scarlett was pleasantly surprised when she discovered that Ella had an eye for colors and style. As they were looking at the new styles of dresses for the next season and when Scarlett tried on a dress, Ella would look at it with a critical eye and answer in either the affirmative or negative, and Scarlett would then put the dress to the side for consideration or ask the salesclerk for a new dress to try on. She actually had fun on these sprees; it was so nice to have something in common her daughter, since she didn't have much in common with Wade. He was quiet and shy and loved to read-something that Scarlett took no pleasure in doing—even when she was a young girl in school.

While Scarlett and Ella had decided that they were tired of shopping and wanted to go back to their hotel so that they could have a nap, they walked by other store fronts to go and find Wade at the nearest book shop, walking past a small general store that caught Scarlett's eye on their way there. It was much smaller than her store in Atlanta, but there was something quaint about it that made her want to visit it. As she walked in, with Ella in tow, she noticed how clean and uncluttered it looked. There was a small area for customers to sit and have a cup of coffee and visit with other customers, stacks of dress fabrics were at the back of the store along with other accoutrement for sewing. Household goods were in neatly arranged shelves and there was a small area for kitchen supplies, such as dishes and silverware. Scarlett was impressed by the neatness of the place, and she wanted to ask the manager how they kept the dust off of everything. Walking up to a tall man that had his back to her, she lightly tapped on his shoulder.

"Excuse me," she quietly said. The man turned to look at who was tapping on his shoulder, and as he spun around, he was surprised to see a petite young woman holding a small child's hand.

With a jovial smile and laughing blue eyes he answered her back, "Yes, may I be of service to you?"

"Um..yes, I would like to talk to the owner of this fine store and ask him a few questions. Could you please point him out to me?"

Laughing lightly he smiled wide and said with unabashed pride, "I am the owner of this fine establishment. Thomas Gerald O'Hara at your service."

With her eyes wide and her mouth open Scarlett haltingly sputtered, "O'Hara? You said that your name is O'Hara?"

"Yes, that is what I said. Thomas Gerald O'Hara." The man confirmed.

Ella looked up at her mother with an incredulous look, "Mother, his name is just like Grandfather O'Hara's!"

Scarlett was shocked for a moment, but then her face lit up with recognition. She suddenly remembered her father telling her about living in Savannah when he first came to America from Ireland, that he had had brothers that lived here. This Thomas O'Hara might be kin to her and more importantly, to her beloved father. Her eyes became glittery and turned a deep green, then with a growing smile she asked him, "Sir, by any chance are you related to a Gerald O'Hara from County Meath Ireland?"

With a great big grin, Thomas answered with joviality, "Why yes ma'am, he was my uncle, and my favorite one at that! Why is it you ask? Did you know him?"

"Yes, I am his eldest daughter. I am Katie Scarlett O'Hara Butler."

"Well I'll be. Little Katie Scarlett! I haven't seen you since you were knee high to a grass hopper. My you sure grew up to be a beauty." Thomas stuck his hand out, grabbed Scarlett by her hand, pulled her towards him, and then wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug.

Scarlett froze in his arms. After the debacle at the mill with Ashley all those years ago, she felt uncomfortable whenever anybody hugged her. The only person she would happily allow to hug her was no longer available and God knows where he could be.

Startled by this genuine show of familiarity, Scarlett reluctantly put her arms around him and hesitantly patted his back then quickly backed up out of his arms.

"Well Katie Scarlett, what may I help you with? You were asking for the manager, and here I am."

Shaking her head to clear her mind from the whirlwind greeting, she shyly smiled, "I just…um, I was just admiring your store. It's so clean and well organized, I myself have a general store in Atlanta and well, it is very difficult keeping it so clean and uncluttered. I was just wondering how you keep it so…well, so spotless."

With a chuckle Thomas scoffed, "It's not that clean, but I use a lot of elbow grease and prodding. Well in all actuality I hire a little negro boy for a dollar a day and he dusts the shelves and sweeps the whole store."

Scarlett spent the rest of the afternoon talking shop with Thomas much to Ella's chagrin. Wade had grown bored of waiting at the bookstore and went to find them and found Ella sitting outside of the store humming to herself. She passed on the information that their mother had discovered the store and in going inside also discovered that she was kin to the man that ran the store. Wade was excited with that bit of information. He didn't know a lot about his O'Hara family like he did about his Hamilton lineage. Melanie had made sure to tell him all that she remembered of her parents and of Wade's father Charles. He hoped that he could meet this man so that he could question him about his grandfather.

Wade's wishes were granted because when Scarlett finally came out of the store she told both of her children that they were all invited to Sunday dinner with Thomas and his family. Thomas wanted to introduce Scarlett to her O'Hara kin. She didn't like to acknowledge the family on her mother's side because they had never approved of Gerald and of her. Yes she helped to support her mother's sisters, but they lived in Charleston and she knew that she would never set foot in that town as long as Rhett was there, she didn't want to have to explain why she was no longer his wife. She found Thomas to be a friendly boisterous man just like her beloved Pa. She was perfectly happy in knowing that she was going to meet someone that knew her Pa before the war.

Before she knew it, Sunday arrived and Thomas was there at the hotel with his carriage to pick up his new O'Hara relatives. He was so excited about introducing Scarlett and the children to their cousins. He hadn't told everybody in his family that he was bringing Gerald's oldest daughter since he wanted to surprise them. The carriage pulled up to a two-story brick house adorned with two staircases on either side of the porch, it was rather quaint, and Scarlett immediately liked it because it looked like a home, not like her architectural disaster in Atlanta which she had to admit did look like a mausoleum. Thomas jumped down from his seat and handed Scarlett out then he assisted Ella, Wade jumped out on his own. As he walked up the staircase he turned around and put his finger up to his lips and whispered to his guests "Shh, I want to surprise the family." Scarlett looked up at him, stunned, "They don't know that we're coming!" He smiled back, "My wife does, but no one else."

"Oh my goodness I hope that they don't mind the intrusion," Scarlett whispered back.

"Nah, it'll be all right."

Scarlett held onto Ella's hand and whispered for her and Wade to be quiet. They stood silently behind Thomas and waited for him to open the front door. As the door swung open, Thomas called out in his boisterous voice, "I'm home!"

All of a sudden, Scarlett heard some squeals and giggles and a small herd of children came rushing to the door and quickly jumped at Thomas. "Daddy! Uncle!" came a chorus of voices. Then almost at the same time the young voices continued, "Who is that?"

"Now don't be rude children. This is Cousin Scarlett and her children, Wade and Ella. They are from your Great Uncle Gerald's family. You remember, I told you all about him. Now off with the lot of you."

Scarlett couldn't believe her eyes. She had thought that it was going to be a small family dinner, but instead she was greeted with a houseful of happy chatting people. There must have been at least thirty people crowded into the house, and Thomas introduced her to every single one of them, and she was related in some way to each and every one of them. She met his wife Margaret, but known as Maggie she then met his five children whose ages ranged from 20 to 8 years of age. There were his brother and sister and their respective families. She was sure that she would not remember them all. Thomas told her that it was just a fraction of all of the family _after all they are Irish Catholics and it's a rule to have big families_ andthen he gave her a quick wink. Everywhere she turned there was someone to smile at her or give her a great big hug. She had never felt so loved and that was something that she needed at this time in her life. She learned that Thomas was the youngest son of Gerald's brother Andrew and that he still lived in Savannah and would be coming over to visit when Thomas's oldest brother comes over.

Wade and Ella were in awe at all of the family that they were meeting, they had no idea that they had such a warm, loving and very large extended family. Ella was happily playing and chatting with her new cousins while Wade stood by shyly and watched over her. Even though they were among family, Wade took it upon himself to make sure that Ella was safe and happy. They spent the rest of the afternoon and a good portion of the evening at the brick house and were very reluctant to leave because it was the most fun that they have ever had.

As they were getting ready to leave, there came a knock at the front door and as Thomas opened it, in walked a very tall man, with black wavy hair and even though it was neatly combed, dangling on his forehead was one long stray black lock, he was broad of shoulder and slim of waist and for one split second Scarlett was startled but then realized that it was not whom she first thought it was. Thomas quickly introduced them. "Liam Kelly, this is my dear cousin Scarlett Butler."

With a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face this handsome stranger bent over and kissed her hand "It's a pleasure to meet you …uh…Miss…Mrs…"

"Scarlett will do just fine," Scarlett quickly finished for him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Scarlett," Liam said while staring directly into her eyes.

For a brief moment Scarlett was taken in by his deep blue eyes and strong jaw with perfectly shaped lips, which was graced with a crooked smile and for a fleeting instant she thought of Rhett with his dark eyes and smirking mouth and how he had once looked at her. Swiftly she turned her face away and looked down as tears began to sting her eyes. She'd be damned if she let some stranger see her in a moment of weakness, so she blinked her eyes hard a few times to remove any tears then steeled herself to look up at him and smiled, "Are you another cousin?" she asked.

"Oh no, he's my wife's sister's husband's sister's son. So he is family in a round about way."

Scarlett had a confused look-as if she was trying to decipher how Liam was or was not related—"Well Mr. Kelly, it's a pleasure to meet you how ever it is we're related." She sweetly smiled. "Thomas, I thinks its best if me and the children get back to the hotel now."

Scarlett and her children made it a point to visit Thomas and his family at least twice each week while they were there in Savannah. It was so nice for her to be around people that did not disapprove of her and that actually loved her for who she was. Wade and Ella also took quite nicely to the family, so much so that they started to come out of their shells and showed that they each had a bit of O'Hara spunk. But as the season progressed, Scarlett knew that the time was coming when they would have to get back to Atlanta, so when she received a telegram from Henry Hamilton, she knew the time had come.

**_I hope you liked this chapter. Please tell me what you thought of it. =)_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_After much lolly-gagging, I finally finished this chapter. I hope it meets with your approval._**

**_A special "Thank you" to my dream girl DreamGWTW, she helps me to make this happen._**

Chapter 8

She had been nervous when she opened the telegram from Henry. All it said was

'_Must speak with you. Come at your earliest convenience.' Henry Hamilton, esq._

When she had read his signature and took notice on how official it looked, she knew that it had something to do with Rhett. So with a heavy heart, Scarlett told the children that it was time for them to go home and resume their lives, the holiday was now over.

Therefore, within two days of receiving the telegram, Scarlett was on her way back to the harsh reality of gossip and grief.

The weather was gloomy and damp when Scarlett and the children arrived at the train station in Atlanta, and it brought back bitter memories of the day that she had lost everything…her love for Ashley, the loss of Melanie, but most of all the desertion by Rhett. Her driver Silas was waiting for her at the station and when the train pulled up, he immediately jumped from his seat on the carriage and went to fetch Scarlett and her family. While driving through town and looking out of the window of their carriage, Wade had noticed that many of the citizens of Atlanta had stopped to watch them pass by and as they stared at the carriage, they silently shook their heads as if already disapproving of the occupants inside. Wade just scowled at them "_They don't know what my mother has gone through and how heartbroken she is." _ When the carriage finally turned up the long driveway to the front of the house, Silas halted the horses that were pulling the carriage and he quickly alighted from his seat and opened the door so that the occupants could all get out. Wade jumped out of the carriage first and stood near the doorway so that he could hand Scarlett out carefully. He was very worried about his mother- for she had been uncharacteristically quiet on the whole ride home from Savannah. When she did speak, she gave short quick answers and seemed to be in a world of her own. He was worried because all while they were in Savannah she had had a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eyes, she even giggled a few times, and that was something that Scarlett's children had rarely if ever heard. But once she had received the telegram, she abruptly stated that they were going home and the light that was in her eyes had died. He wondered if it had anything to do with Rhett. He knew that his mother and step-father were going through some great difficulties in their marriage, but he was unable to pinpoint exactly what was going on. All that he remembered was that his mother had told him and Ella that their Uncle Rhett was going to be living in Charleston and that it was more than likely that he would never come back to Atlanta.

Walking through the front door of their home was a sobering experience. After all of the light that graced their rooms in Savannah, they were greeted with gloom and darkness. There seemed to be not one single glint of sunlight. True the house had been all closed up while they were away, but Scarlett had sent a telegram to the servants telling them that they would be home in two days and had asked them to please air out all of the rooms. But even though the house smelled of newly waxed floors and fresh cut flowers, it was not enough to make the house a home.

Patience was not a strong suit in Scarlett, so once she had settled the children in their rooms upon their arrival from Savannah, she freshened herself up with a quick sponge bath and fresh clothing and summoned her driver to take her to Henry Hamilton's office.

Upon arriving at her Uncle Henry's office, she was greeted at the door by Samuel, Henry's driver. She was quite surprised to see him at the door and gave him a strange look as he greeted her,

"Hello Mrs. Butler, Mr. Hamilton will be with you shortly."

He guided her towards the closed door to Henry's office and opened it then allowed her in. She sat down on the well-worn leather chair that was placed directly in front of Henry's large and cluttered desk. She sat there quite prim and proper with her small gloved hands crossed delicately on her lap. While sitting there, she looked all around Henry's office, and aside from his cluttered desk, he had volumes of law books in bookshelves all over the office. The lamp that was near his desk looked rather old and rusty, there was a old wooden footstool near one of the bookshelves, but even though the room looked well lived in, there was not a speck of dust to be seen. While examining the room, she had noticed that even though the building survived the ravages of war the room was not left untouched. The back wall was newer than the rest of the room, this she noticed because the wood that was used was of a lighter color and not as worn. Being in the lumber business did have its good points, it taught her how to look at wood and know if it was quality or not, the wood used in Henry's office was of a cheap quality and would need to be replaced much sooner than if he had used higher quality. She knew that he struggled with keeping his business afloat after the war and had probably used what little he had left in funds to procure the supplies that he needed to restore his offices. Scarlett was secretly proud of her Uncle Henry and a small smile formed across her face as she thought of the grizzled old man that was now helping her through her toughest time. The door swung open and she was awakened from her temporary reverie when in walked the old man that was now her divorce lawyer.

"Ah, Scarlett, I see you have made it back to Atlanta in one piece." He commented as he walked over to her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. As he brought his face away from hers he gave her a quick and friendly wink.

"Yes Uncle Henry. The children and I had a wonderful time in Savannah. I'll have to tell you all about it when we have time, but I am here because you sent me a telegram. I am assuming that you have heard from Rhett. Am I correct?"

"Yes my dear you are." He soberly answered her. "I received an envelope from his lawyer and it contained two letters. I have already read mine, and I'm sure the one that is for you will contain the same information and I don't think that you are going to like it."

She looked at him with confusion written all over her face. "What do you mean Henry?"

He handed her the letter and quietly answered, "Here, read this and you'll see what I mean."

Scarlett hesitantly reached out her hand and took the letter that Henry was offering to her. She looked down at it for a moment and noticed that in Rhett's sweeping script it said only "Scarlett". With a trembling hand she slowly opened it, pulled out the letter unfolded it and began to read.

_Scarlett,_

_After thinking about your demands over the last few months, I have decided that I will give you what you want, but there will be a price. Looking over the property and assets that we have, I think I can easily let you have that dust bin of yours; Kennedy's General Store and also that white elephant in Clayton County that you seem to love so much. You may also have that monstrosity of a house on Peachtree Street, I do not want it, so do with it what you will, I will pay for the up-keep and servants for one year after the divorce, but after that it will be your sole responsibility. In case you do not understand what I am saying, I will clarify it for you. I will give you back the things that you came into the marriage with, but in return, I want you to give me something back. What I want from you is for you to give me back the Butler name. It has been dragged through the mud enough by my past escapades, and I don't want you to go and sully it any further, since you seem to have a knack for causing a scandal and becoming the subject of town gossip._

_So after all of the papers have been signed you will no longer use the Butler name, use O'Hara or Kennedy, hell use Wilkes for all I care, but not Butler. This will sever all ties between us and you will be free to do as you please._

_Goodbye Scarlett, be well._

_Rhett_

As Henry watched Scarlett, he could see a myriad of emotions flit across her face. First there had been relief, then hurt floated across her face which then turned to anger and then finally sadness. Henry realized that the thought that Scarlett was a heartless woman was all wrong. This was a woman with a cornucopia of emotions, but like a savvy gambler kept all semblance of emotion close to her chest. He kept his old grey eyes locked on Scarlett's face until she finally lifted them to look up at him. He could see the sadness in her eyes, but with the determination of keeping herself emotionless she swallowed hard and set her jaw tight and lifted her chin, then curtly nodded acceptance of the terms. All the while her face was as pale as a ghost's. Henry greatly admired Scarlett at this very moment, because he knew how hard she was trying to keep her emotions in tact and that her heart was breaking. Looking straight into her eyes he said quietly, "I'm sorry Scarlett."

Scarlett sat there in stunned silence-she couldn't believe how callous Rhett's letter was. She knew that he was angry with her and had said that he no longer loved her, but she had never ever entertained the thought that he would want to cut her out of his life in the cruelest manner possible. Her usually proud head was bowed low and her shoulders slumped forward, it was a sign of defeat-a sign that Scarlett had never affected in her life until that moment. With a deep sigh, she slowly lifted her head and pushed out her chin then looked at Uncle Henry straight in his eyes, and with a slight quiver in her voice she spoke.

"Why Henry? I made my bed, now I must lie in it." Then clearing her throat she continued in her business like manner, "Just do what needs to be done, and when all is said and done, I will sign anything that you wish."

Leaving Henry's office with a heavy heart, Scarlett suddenly found herself at home. She didn't remember getting into her carriage and being driven there, but here she was sitting at her vanity table looking like a lost soul. She shook her head to erase the cobwebs that were binding her mind and reached for the decanter of brandy and glass that she kept on a tray. She no longer hid the fact that she drank, all of the servants knew that she imbibed alcohol every so often, so she felt that as long as they kept quiet about it she wouldn't hide it. But on this night she had decided that she was going to get very drunk and let out all of her pent up emotions, knowing that she was soon going to leave her life as Scarlett Butler behind and re-emerge as Scarlett O'Hara once again.

**_Now please tell me what you think. Just click on that little button over there. :)_**


End file.
